The Home Stretch

Aloha !

Sept,11th, 2012

After the ukulele making class on Saturday , Sept, 8th , Karen drove me to Seaview on the way home to pick more hala leaves. I did not have enough leaves to finish my skirt. Kuane had shown me a good place to pick them several weeks ago.

The hala leaves were inside a thick jungle , off road.  I came prepared this time , bringing shoes that covered my feet . I was able to get about 16 hala leaves . I was so thankful for my gardening gloves. It kept my hands from being sharply pierced and ripped  by the ' thorns' on the edges of the hala leaves and also the' thorns'  running along the spine of the leaves. It was the best $3.00 investment I have ever made.
  
 I dragged  the leaves  ( the leaves were about 7 feet long ) to Mark's jeep. Mark had lent us his jeep for the day.  Karen couldn't open Mark's  trunk . Oh oh !

So, the only way was to have  my arms hanging out the window , holding the hala leaves on the ride home.  Karen couldn't help me because of the sharp thorns on the hala leaves and it took some maneuvering   for me to get into the jeep with my window rolled down , and then have all the hala leaves on the outside of the passenger door , holding all of them with both my hands and doing the best that I could to keep them from touching the sides of the jeep . I was worried that it would scratch the paint off the well used jeep .

As we drove back to Kalani from Seaview , both my arms and part of my body was hanging outside of the jeep  , with both my hands handing onto the hala leaves for dear Life ! " Can you drive a bit slower please ? "   I pleaded to Karen. The speed of the car was really picking up the wind and the hala leaves were flying up , trying to strongly pull themselves out of my hands.  The road back to Kalani was a mini roller coaster with one of the most beautiful views ever along the coastline.

It was quite comical. I had to laugh ! The things that I am doing to make my lauhala skirt . " Oh, I wish I could take a picture of you as the car is moving, with both your arms outside the car window , holding the hala leaves ! " Karen said. Wew ere both laughing.

I just wanted to make it back to Kalani with all my hala leaves. Hallelejah !  Success !!!!!

As soon as the car stopped , Karen rolled up the windows with a push of a button . " Hey, stop !!!!! " I said in a panic. She had rolled my arms up to the top of the car as my body went up with it.  It was funny and not at the same time. It hurt .

Jeesh Louise !  I mean, you knew that my arms were outside , still holding onto the leaves . We were laughing about it the whole time.  I smacked her. Ow !!!!  That hurt me !

It was one of those moments that because you do something so routinely , in spite of visually seeing otherwise , you do still what is routine : Karen rolling the windows up as my arms were still outside.......once the car was parked.  I, myself , would not have done this. Just saying .

I brought all the leaves to the Art Shed to clean and strip , using the kitchen hose to wash and wet the leaves first.

Today, I finished tying on all the lauhala leaves onto my skirt. Oh happy happy day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow, I will hem the lauhala hula skirt , 10 inches off the ground , as I stand with bare feet. Thankfully , all that is required is cutting . Then, the last onerous part begins. I have to iron each individual leaf , on both sides , with a very hot iron , to flatten the leaves. They are all curled up right now and very hard.  Once ironed , there will be a soft sheen on the leaves and the skirt will balloon out like a ball gown.

Yes, I am in for the home stretch !  I still have to make the leis for my head, wrists and ankles  .  Compared to making the lauhala hula skirt , that is nothing.

The big performance at Volcanoes National Park is only a few days away.

Today, as I put the last hala leaf onto my skirt, I watched the skirt dance in the wind , lifting up joyfully with the ocean breeze..........There was Love and Tears on the Lauhala Hula Skirt.........my deepest respect for the Aina.......

With much Aloha,
x0x0x0x0
Molly